Search results for "Drug Therapy"
showing 10 items of 638 documents
IMPROVE-IT: what have we learned?
2016
Purpose of review: Recent studies and dyslipidemia treatment guidelines indicate that combination lipid-lowering therapy is frequently needed and its use has increased in recent years. Ezetimibe and simvastatin as a fixed dose is an efficacious treatment choice based on positive results of the recent IMProved Reduction of Outcomes: Vytorin Efficacy International Trial (IMPROVE-IT). In this review, we discuss recent controversies surrounding ezetimibe and provide clinical perspective on the results of the IMPROVE-IT study. Recent findings: IMPROVE-IT is the first trial that demonstrates a significant clinical benefit of a nonstatin hypolipidemic agent (ezetimibe) used in combination with sta…
Low-dose rivaroxaban plus aspirin in older patients with peripheral artery disease undergoing acute limb revascularization: insights from the VOYAGER…
2021
Abstract Aims In this secondary analysis of the VOYAGER trial, rivaroxaban 2.5 mg twice/day plus aspirin 100 mg/day was assessed in older adults. Advanced age is associated with elevated bleeding risk and unfavourable net benefit for dual antiplatelet therapy in chronic coronary artery disease. The risk–benefit of low-dose rivaroxaban in patients ≥75 years with peripheral artery disease (PAD) after lower extremity revascularization (LER) has not been described. Methods and results The primary endpoint was a composite of acute limb ischaemia, major amputation, myocardial infarction, ischaemic stroke, or cardiovascular death. The principal safety outcome was thrombolysis in myocardial infarct…
Diagnostic problems and postnatal follow-up in congenital toxoplasmosis
2007
Aim. In order to assess the consequences of different clinica] approaches in the prenata] management of congenital toxoplasmosis, we retrospectively reviewed 58 pregnant women with Toxoplasma seroconversion and prospec tively enrolled their 59 infants, referred to us from 1999 to 2004. Metbods. Data on clinica!, laboratocy and de mographic characteristics of the pregnant women were collected. Their children were entered intoa 48-month follow-up progcamme in which clinica , instrumental, ophthalmo logic and serologic evaluations were carried out at birth, at 1, 3, 6, 9, 15, 18, 24, 36 and at 48 months of life. Paediatric treatment with Spiramycin alone or alternated with Pyrime thamine-S…
Dosage individualization of erythropoietin using a profile-dependent support vector regression
2003
The external administration of recombinant human erythropoietin is the chosen treatment for those patients with secondary anemia due to chronic renal failure in periodic hemodialysis. The objective of this paper is to carry out an individualized prediction of the EPO dosage to be administered to those patients. The high cost of this medication, its side-effects and the phenomenon of potential resistance which some individuals suffer all justify the need for a model which is capable of optimizing dosage individualization. A group of 110 patients and several patient factors were used to develop the models. The support vector regressor (SVR) is benchmarked with the classical multilayer percept…
Brivaracetam as add-on treatment in patients with post-stroke epilepsy: real-world data from the BRIVAracetam add-on First Italian netwoRk Study (BRI…
2022
Objective: Post-stroke epilepsy (PSE) is one of the most common causes of acquired epilepsy and accounts for about 10-15% of all newly diagnosed epilepsy cases. However, evidence about the clinical profile of antiseizure medications in the PSE setting is currently limited. Brivaracetam (BRV) is a rationally developed compound characterized by high-affinity binding to synaptic vesicle protein 2A. The aim of this study was to assess the 12-month effectiveness and tolerability of adjunctive BRV in patients with PSE treated in a real-world setting. Methods: This was a subgroup analysis of patients with PSE included in the BRIVAracetam add-on First Italian netwoRk Study (BRIVAFIRST). The BRIVAFI…
Once-Daily Liraglutide Versus Lixisenatide as Add-on to Metformin in Type 2 Diabetes: A 26-Week Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
2016
OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy and safety of liraglutide versus lixisenatide as add-on to metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes not achieving adequate glycemic control on metformin alone. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In this 26-week, randomized, parallel-group, open-label trial, 404 patients were randomized 1:1 to liraglutide 1.8 mg or lixisenatide 20 µg as add-on to metformin. Liraglutide was administered once daily at any time of the day. Lixisenatide was administered once daily within 1 h prior to the morning or evening meal. RESULTS At week 26, liraglutide reduced HbA1c (primary end point) more than lixisenatide (estimated treatment difference −0.62% [95% CI −0.8; −0.4]; P &…
Treatment of Patients with Chronic Type B Hepatitis and Concurrent Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection with a Combination of Interferon Alpha and …
1989
Six patients with chronic type B hepatitis and concurrent infection with the immunodeficiency virus were treated with 600 mg azidothymidine (AZT)/day and 3 X 10(6) units of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) every other day for a total of 4 months. None of the patients treated lost the hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV-DNA concentrations were not significantly influenced by this treatment. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection was also not affected except for a transient rise in CD 4-positive cells in 2 individuals, who had initially low CD 4-positive cells. Treatment did not influence the presence of HIV-Ag in the serum. In conclusion, a combination therapy of IFN and AZT does not seem to be b…
Long-term anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy reverses the progression of carotid intima–media thickness in female patients with active rheumatoid ar…
2009
The objective of the study is to evaluate the effect of TNF inhibition on carotid thickness over a 2-year period. 144 women with RA diagnosed according to ACR criteria, without clinical evidence of cardiac and/or vascular disease were enrolled and compared with 78 matched controls. All patients received methotrexate (15–20 mg weekly) for 3 months. Responders (n = 79) continued to be treated with methotrexate, non-responders (n = 40) moved to methotrexate plus a TNF alpha antagonist. Echosonographic studies of carotids were obtained before and after 2-year follow-up. A significant decrease of ca-IMT was observed in anti-TNF-treated patients (P < 0.001); on the other hand, no significant vari…
Randomised controlled trial of montelukast plus inhaled budesonide versus double dose inhaled budesonide in adult patients with asthma
2003
Background: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) affect many inflammatory pathways in asthma but have little impact on cysteinyl leukotrienes. This may partly explain persistent airway inflammation during chronic ICS treatment and failure to achieve adequate asthma control in some patients. This double blind, randomised, parallel group, non-inferiority, multicentre 16 week study compared the clinical benefits of adding montelukast to budesonide with doubling the budesonide dose in adults with asthma. Methods: After a 1 month single blind run in period, patients inadequately controlled on inhaled budesonide (800 µg/day) were randomised to receive montelukast 10 mg + inhaled budesonide 800 µg/day (n…
Sustained seizure freedom with adjunctive brivaracetam in patients with focal onset seizures
2022
The maintenance of seizure control over time is a clinical priority in patients with epilepsy. The aim of this study was to assess the sustained seizure frequency reduction with adjunctive brivaracetam (BRV) in real-world practice. Patients with focal epilepsy prescribed add-on BRV were identified. Study outcomes included sustained seizure freedom and sustained seizure response, defined as a 100% and a ≥50% reduction in baseline seizure frequency that continued without interruption and without BRV withdrawal through the 12-month follow-up. Nine hundred ninety-four patients with a median age of 45 (interquartile range = 32-56) years were included. During the 1-year study period, sustained se…